XN000022-1981-01-21 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1981

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SNAGS IN KING'S ROAD TRAFFIC SCHEME

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THE SEVERE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE MORNING PEAK THROUGH SHAU KEI WAN AND QUARRY BAY IS PARTLY DUE TO THE ROAD THROUGH SHAU KEI WAN BEING TOO NARROW TO ACCOMMODATE AN EFFECTIVE BUS LANE, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+THIS BOTTLENECK AFFECTS ALL TRAFFIC AND, AMONG OTHER THINGS, IT HAS PREVENTED BUSES FROM GAINING ACCESS TO THE BUS-ONLY LANES AT THE BEGINNING OF KING'S ROAD BECAUSE OF THE BLOCKAGE OF OTHER TRAFFIC, HE SAID IN HIS REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN.

THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN MADE MUCH WORSE BY CONGESTION IN THE QUARRY BAY AREA DUE TO TWO OTHER FACTORS:

+THE FIRST IS THE VERY CONSIDERABLE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC LEAVING TAI KOO SHING AND TURNING RIGHT, THE MOVEMENT OF WHICH HAS AGA IN PREVENTED BUSES FROM ENTERING THE BUS-ONLY LANE AT THAT JUNCTION.

+THE SECOND, AND MORE IMPORTANT, HAS RESULTED FROM THE BUS-ONLY LANES BEING CUT BACK BEFORE JUNCTIONS TO ALLOW FOR LEFT TURNING TRAFFIC,+ MR JONES SAID.

HOWEVER DRIVERS OF VEHICLES NOT TURNING LEFT HAD ALSO BEEN CUTTING INTO THOSE SECTIONS TO TRY TO JUMP THE QUEUE. BY FORCING THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE THROUGH LANES AFTER THE JUNCTIONS, THEY HAVE THEN INEVITABLY LED TO THE TRAFFIC STREAM BECOMING MORE SEVERELY BLOCKED.

THIS AGAIN, IN ITS TURN, HAS RESULTED IN LONG TAIL BACKS OF TRAFFIC THROUGH PREVIOUS JUNCTIONS, THUS BRINGING ALL TRAFFIC, INCLUDING BUSES, TO AN ALMOST COMPLETE HALT, MR JONES SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT SETTING BACK THE BUS LANES AT JUNCTIONS TO FACILITATE LEFT TURNING TRAFFIC HAD BEEN PROVED TO WORK WELL WITH SIMILAR SCHEMES IN EUROPE, WHERE DRIVER DISCIPLINE WAS GENERALLY HIGH, BUT NOT IN HONG KONG.

IT IS NOW PLANNED TO EXTEND THE BUS LANES MUCH CLOSER TO THE JUNCTIONS TO PREVENT ABUSES OF THE SCHEME, HE SAID.

OTHER CHANGES TO THE SCHEME NOW BEING WORKED OUT MAI NL Y INVOLVE DETAILED ADJUSTMENTS IN, FOR EXAMPLE, TRAFFIC SIGNAL TIMINGS AND THE EXTENSION OF BUS-ONLY LANES FURTHER UP CHAI WAN HILL.

THE MAIN PROBLEM WHICH REMAINS IS THE VERY RESTRICTED WIDTH OF CARRIAGEWAY AVAILABLE IN SHAU KEI WAN ROAD, WHICH IS COMPOUNDED BY THE PRESENCE OF BOTTLENECKS WHERE, FOR INSTANCE, SOME OLD BUILDINGS JUT OUT AND NARROW DOWN THE ROAD SPACE STILL FURTHER.

+ THE POSSIBILITY OF RESUMING CERTAIN PRIVATE LOTS IN ORDER TO REMOVE SOME OF THESE BOTTLENECKS IS NOW BEING INVESTIGATED, HE SAID.

/MR JONES